


A Hinanami Week Mix

by MixnSpice



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - Talentswap, Eros and Psyche, F/M, Family Feels, Hinanami Week, Hinanami Week 2017, Light Angst, Most are light-hearted though, Self-Esteem Issues, movie date
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-10
Updated: 2017-07-15
Packaged: 2018-11-30 07:35:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,003
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11459007
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MixnSpice/pseuds/MixnSpice
Summary: A collection of my submissions for Hinanami Week 2017.Day 1: AU. "A Remnant of Hope"Day 2: Date. "Date Survivor 2"Day 3: Family. "Blood is Thicker but the Water is Safer"Day 4: Talentswap. "Inverted Fates"Day 5: Future. "Artificial Intelligence"Day 6: Mythos/Magic. "Apotheosis"Day 7: Seasons. "Never More"





	1. Day 1: AU - A Remnant of Hope

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the mole for Future Foundation, Hinata knows that it's his duty to stop despair.  
> That doesn't make things any easier, especially if someone you were close with is one of them.

"Hinata-kun, is there something wrong?"

The boy turned back to the owner of the soft voice, looking at him with a concerned face. "Ah, it's nothing, Nanami. I'm just thinking about some stuff lately." He answered, almost sheepishly.

While his friend isn't really convinced by his answer, she decides not to pry any further, walking away to join their other classmates. "Okay, if you say so."

Nanami thought it might have been a sensitive subject. He supposed it was a good thing. 

After all, _everything_ is wrong right now. As of now, everyone, including him, are in a virtual world. Of course, no one really knows about this except for him. And he would prefer if it sticks that way.

Everyone in the Class 77 were the dreaded Remnants of Despair. During their state as despairs, his friends were almost like twisted and perversed parodies of themselves.

But from what he's seen in his personal experience, Nanami might have been the worst of them. Being the despair's main strategist in raids as well as their general by the time of Junko Enoshima's death. 

In other words, nothing like the kind girl he is with right now.

The boy clenched his fists as he remembered his encounter with Nanami in her despair state before this. He saw how she cruelly executed a despair mook for being 'incompetent', and by that, for letting Naegi and his group escape unscathed. The Nanami he knew would never be so furious when someone failed her; she would most likely forgive them, even if it was someone like Komaeda.

Just thinking of that made him remember the reason why he is here right now.

_When this is all over, I won't let you and everyone else down again._

Hinata thought as he steed his resolve. Never again would he be the reserve course student who failed his friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for being a day late to this event! Things have been busy for me today.  
> Without further ado, on we go!


	2. Day 2: Date - Date Survivor 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hinata and Nanami go on a movie date, where they can hopefully spend some time alone with each other. Too bad that they have uninvited guests.

_Relax, Hinata._ He thought as he fixed his tie. _It's just a date. It's not the end of the world._

But if he screws this up, it might as well be the end of the world for him.

After what seems to be an eternity, he finally mustered enough courage to ask Nanami, someone he's been fancying for a while now, on a date to a movie. Said movie was an adaptation of a well-known video game series. It's about summoning demons for battle or something like that.

For the date, he didn't dress up in anything too fancy; he just made sure to make himself look presentable enough. He knows that she isn't the type of person to go all out in a cliche'd fancy date in a French restaurant, after all.

Taking one more look at the mirror, the boy saw that he looks fine, but...something's missing. 

Oh!

Taking a comb, he combed down loose strands from his ahoge. As soon as he was done, the odd hair was back to its perfect, bent cone shape.

Satisfied, the boy walked out to go on his date. He won't mess this up.

Too bad fate has other plans.

  


"Sorry if I kept you waiting!"

Nanami smiled as she saw her date approaching. "It's alright, Hinata-kun; you're just in time."

He chuckled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. "So, Diablo Conqueror, right?"

The way she lit up at the mention of that film made him feel almost fluffy inside. Another thing he loved about her; just the way she gets passionate and enthusiastic about things she likes (especially video games) is almost infectious.

"Yep! From what I've seen from the trailers, it might be one of the few video game films that are respectable to the source material. They even hired the original voice actors from the original game to revise their roles there!"

As she continued to nerd out about it, he couldn't help but grin a bit as he listened to her ramblings on their way to their destination.

Once they reached the place, someone who must have been in a hurry bumped into Hinata, making him stumble and nearly fall. Nanami managed to catch him in time before he could land on his face, though. As he regained his footing, he wondered if he was seeing things.

But he's pretty sure that he's seen that unevenly cut long hair before.

  


Hinata thinks that it might be just him, but something feels fishy about this. For as much as he knows, the movie theatre isn't supposed to be this crowded inside, and even if it was, the movie he and Nanami are about to watch isn't that popular enough to garner so much audience. In fact, she told him that the video game it was based off was a cult classic, but it isn't that well-known during its release.

He squinted, but he's pretty sure that at the very top row seats, he could spot fifteen familiar-looking silhouettes of people. He's sure that he even spotted a fluff of white hair in there!

Inwardly groaning, the boy buried his face in his palms. All he wanted was to spend some time alone with the girl he likes, but nooo...their friends had to crash the party.

Hinata debated with himself. He's not sure if he should go and make an excuse for him and Nanami to leave immediately, but he doesn't want to ruin this date for both of them.

As if something in universe heard him, Nanami stood up, grabbing his hand. "Hinata, I need to go to the bathroom."

With a nod, he stood up and followed her outside.

  


Once they were out, Nanami sighed. _I can't believe they actually followed us here._

Being teased about their relationship is one thing, but right now they're actually being spied on during their date. Not only it is rude as hell, it's also a huge invasion of their privacy.

"Nanami, I'm sorry if we have to end the movie date right now, but I don't think we can go back in there." Hinata said, almost regrettably. 

She looked up at him, before nodding in understanding, walking with him. "It's alright. As much as I love my classmates, even I think that they're going a bit far this time."

"Besides, the movie was a disappointment anyway."

"Wait, seriously!? But you looked so excited for it."

"I was, but I guess trailers really do lie. I mean, the adaptation's atmosphere is nothing like the game's at all! Sure, it had some dark moments, but it also had some humor to balance it out. They turned it into an Evangelion rip-off!"

While he listened attentively to her rant, he can't help but feel a bit disappointed that they had to cut the date short, no thanks to the uninvited guests they had.

But then, who says that their date end now?

"Um, Nanami?"

"Yes, Hinata?"

"You know, we could spend the rest of the date back in the dorm. If you want to, that is."

"Sure! And if you want to, I can even show you the original game and point out the inaccuracies the movie made."

"Heh, sounds like it'll be fun. Okay, I'm in!"


	3. Day 3: Family - Blood is Thicker but the Water is Safer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Blood is thicker than water." That's what many people believed.  
> But not for these two.

"Blood is thicker than water."

That's what people always say. It's a saying that means your family will always be out there for you, because you share the same blood with them. They owe their lives to you, and you owe your life to them in return. No one else can take their place.

Like any other person, Hinata's parents have been with him for almost his entire life. They gave him all his needs. In return, he would be the good son he is. But the thing is, he always felt distant towards his parents. They aren't bad ones per se, it's just that he felt that they value money as something that can substitute happiness. Not to mention, he feels like he is disappointing them somehow.

Nanami's parents aren't that much different from Hinata's. While they were well-off, her parents didn't have much time to spend with her, and so they decided to substitute that by giving her gifts instead. It's nice to receive something from them, but it somehow doesn't feel the same as those small moments of spending time with them.

They were tied by blood, but not in spirit.

But things are different when they are with their class. Not only was the atmosphere more welcoming than at home; their classmates are basically siblings to each other at this point, with Ms. Yukizome as their mother figure. 

Even though she isn't that much older compared to them. 

(Just like that one time Fuyuhiko sarcastically called her 'mom', and to no one's surprise, the supposed insult backfired.)

Hinata isn't actually an official student of that class, but they still welcomed him with open arms. Sure, there are some who took some time warming up to the average boy, but eventually they grew fond of him. Or, in Hiyoko's case, at least tolerate him.

Nanami had always been a loner before attending Hope's Peak, so suddenly seeing her interact with more than fifteen people would come as a surprise to her former schoolmates in her previous high school. She feels much more at home in the classroom than in her own room back in her house.

When Hinata started feeling closer with Nanami, he found family in her, and vice versa. In Class 77-B, they have one, big happy family that they never had with their own blood.

For them, the saying isn't always true.

"Blood is thicker than water."

Besides, it was never said that way originally. It's been twisted over time, and only some know what it really was and what it means.

"The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb." 

Blood shed by soldiers in battle is stronger than simple genetics.


	4. Day 4: Talentswap - Inverted Fates

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nanami was once resigned to her fate as an ordinary reserve course student. But an encounter with Hinata, the Ultimate Counselor, changes that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know that some people are using counselor for Hinata's talent, but I can't help it! It really does suit his personality.

  
Nanami paced outside, her console in hand, trying to distract herself from her thoughts by playing an old favorite game of hers - Gala Omega. It usually works making her forget things that are stressing her, but it doesn't seem to work this time around. Even in-game, as she shot down the AI-controlled enemies, her mind played back the words her former classmates said in her previous high school.

_So these parents pay to get their talentless kid to school._

_You don't belong there._

_It must be nice being rich..._

As much as she doesn't want to admit it, what they said was true. Everyone knew about the prestigious Hope's Peak Academy; a special school that accepts only the best of students. What makes it better is that their students are never enrolled; they had to be scouted and invited by the school itself.

But recently, the school decided to open up a special class: the Reserve Course. Unlike the main course, ordinary students could enroll in class, provided that they could pay the expensive tuition.

Despite her love for video games, she never thought that she would make it to Hope's Peak. Since when was gaming considered an actual talent?

Just as she accepted her normal high school life, her parents instead saw the reserve course as an opportunity for their daughter. Her family is well-off, she can't deny that, so the tuition isn't a problem. In the end, she ended up agreeing with her parents' decision to send her in the reserve course, mostly because they're her parents and she should obey them. Right?

The classes in the reserve course aren't that much different from her old high school's own classes, which shouldn't be surprising considering the fact that most of the students in there are ordinary kids. The teachers in there were really strict, and often talked about how they, the reserve course students, should know their place in the school. Because of that, the class atmosphere was tense and often hostile.

They don't allow the use of gadgets inside the classroom, so that was out of the window as well.

Maybe she is starting to regret coming here-

A scream interrupted her train of thought. Pausing her game, she looked up and saw a round boy running off, chased by a woman in a housekeeper or maid kind of uniform. Once the two of them vanished from her sight, the girl sighed and went back to her game, unaware that a third person was approaching, panting and wheezing as he appeared.

The boy placed his hands on his knees, catching his breath. He never knew that Mitarai could run so fast despite his overweight body. He wondered if he should go and follow Ms. Yukizome, but then again it looks like she might be able to catch him herself, so maybe he could take a break.

Straightening his body, the boy took a good look at his surroundings. There's a fancy looking fountain with a bench near it. In said bench, there appeared to be a girl his age sitting on it. He wondered if she was a student here, but judging by her uniform, probably not.

He took a step forward, intending to ask her if she is attending this school. By the time he got near her, he saw what game she was playing.

"Gala Omega, huh? I haven't played that in a long time." He mused softly.

He didn't expect her to hear him. As soon as he let go of those words, the girl suddenly shot up, meeting their faces with one another. "Wait, you know it!? It's a classic, don't you think!?"

The boy took a small step back, not expecting an almost chipper response from her. "Uh, yeah. I think I beat it ten times in a row once."

"You did? Wow, that's really impressive!" She never felt this excited in a long time. Someone else her age knew about this game, and they managed to beat it more than once. In her excitement, she almost forgot about her worries earlier. But being this close to the boy made allowed her to study his features more prominently.

He looked pretty ordinary, with the only special thing about him is a piece of his hair sticking up like an antenna. Another thing she noticed from him was his uniform.

Her eyes widened as realization hit her, making her take a few steps back. The boy she's talking with right now is an Ultimate Student, and she's talking to him like she's on his level!

Embarassed, the girl lowered her head. One more thing from the reserve course is that they're highly discouraged from interacting with Ultimates. The boy seems surprised on the way she is acting. He shouldn't be; he's an Ultimate. He shouldn't bother wasting his time with an ordinary student like her.

In her nervousness, she didn't notice that he took a good look at her uniform, composed of a white blouse, a brown skirt, and a ribbon. With those, he managed to piece it together.

"You're attending the reserve course, right?"

Once she heard that, she immediately raised her head, and while her facial expression didn't change, there was a small part of resignment in her. "Yeah, thanks for reminding me."

"Ah, I didn't mean to hit a sore spot." The boy said, apologizing quickly, raising his hands in front of him as a form of submission. He must have thought that it was a sensitive subject.

"It's fine."

Maybe after that, the boy will go back to the main building, and both of them could forget that this ever happened.

Unfortunately, that doesn't seem to be the case here.

"Mind if I keep you company for a while? You looked a little lonely back then."

"Hm, if you want to."

In this situation, she should've made up an excuse and be on her way, avoiding all sorts of complicated scenarios she'd rather not deal with. But now that she said that, there's no more going back, and she has to deal with the consequences.

"Oh, I haven't properly introduced myself." He said, holding his hand out. "I'm Hajime Hinata. Ultimate Counselor."

She took his hand. "Chiaki Nanami. And you already know that I'm a reserve course student."

Hinata chuckled sheepishly. "Yeah, my bad. It's nice to meet you, Nanami."

"Nice to meet you too, I guess." Nanami replied.

At that point, the woman from earlier came back along with the round boy. Except that he's currently tied up and dragged along the ground by the said woman.

"I finally got the last one. Hinata, we should go back to class-oh! Who's this?" The woman asked.

"I'm Chiaki Nanami." the student replied blankly.

"In that case, I'm Chisa Yukizome! But you can call me Ms. Yukizome." Yukizome introduced herself. From what Nanami could see, the woman in front of her is really eccentric. "I'd hate to cut this meeting short, but I'm afraid Hinata has to come back to class with me."

"Ah, right." Hinata rubbed the back of his head, and then went off to join Ms. Yukizome back to their class. But before that, he turned back to Nanami. "I'll see you tomorrow, right?"

With a shrug, she replied, "Maybe."

But if they did, she wouldn't really mind.

* * *

 

They do end up seeing each other again the next day. To her surprise, she actually welcomed his company. It was a nice change of pace from the usual hostile temperature back in the classes of the reserve course. Another thing she saw from him is that when she beat him in a game, he didn't pout or complain like any other Ultimate student, especially after being beaten by a 'lowly student'.

"Wow, you really are great at this." Hinata said, awed. "I'm surprised the school didn't scout you."

She huffed. "I don't think gaming could qualify as a legitimate talent."

"Maybe, but I'm sure that the school has accepted talents different from the norm before."

"That may be true, but it probably won't be as useful as yours."

Now it was his turn to scoff. "Well, at least for you, it's something that you can legitimately enjoy. I would probably be stuck talking to other people for the rest of my life. Not that I mind it, of course, but it would be nice to take a break from it once in a while."

Unlike other students, Hinata didn't believe in the 'talent is everything' mindset. It's, in his own words, 'complete and utter bullcrap'. As a matter of fact, he actually thought that her gaming skills qualified as a talent, which baffled her to no end.

As days went by, Nanami realized that not only was she actually enjoying Hinata's company, but she was also starting to admire him. The way he believes in others, his self-confidence; he's always so sure of himself. Not to mention, he really is living up to his title of the Ultimate Counselor; he's able to keep his more destructive classmates in check, especially those two people he calls Kuzuryuu and Koizumi. The two of them had some history, at least according to him.

Which, unfortunately, made her realize how low she is in level compared to him. Her status as a reserve course student aside, there wasn't a single achievement on her part. She's a loner, and the closest thing she has to an actual 'talent' is something that can't even benefit anyone.

All those insecurity building up inside her is starting to make the offer Hope's Peak gave to her sound even more tempting by the second. The Hope Cultivation Program, where an ordinary person would be selected and given a talent by the school themselves. Maybe then, she can finally stand next to him as an equal.

But, with the way Hinata laughs good-naturedly as he lost another round, coupled with a small talk from the previous headmaster of the school, Kazuo Tengan, she wondered if she could accept her fate in normalcy.

She didn't have anything to lose, after all.

* * *

 

"Class, we have a transfer student today. Please welcome him."

She lifted her tired head to meet the new student. The transferee, who was wearing the male uniform (consisting of a black suit and tie), was a bit on the short side with a youthful look. But she didn't say that out loud, and that decision proved to be wise when he spoke.

"I'm going to say this only once, so you all better remember it. My name is Fuyuhiko Kuzuryuu."

It only takes one look at the newcomer to let Nanami know he is not one to mess with, as she observed during his interactions with Sato. That means that she would have to avoid getting his bad side, and for that to be effective, she'll have to stay out of his way. Frankly, she's fine with that. Nothing much would have been different.

Oh how wrong she was.

A week after Kuzuryuu-kun's enrollment, he was found dead. The next day, another student, Sato, was also murdered.

The culprit of both murders was never caught.

It was stupid, but with the guilt eating her up, she thought about trying to investigate the matter herself. She heard a scream from the building before the incident was finalized, but instead of doing something about it, she ran away like the coward she is. How could Hinata be friends with someone like her again?

But life isn't a video game. Because when she tried sneaking inside the main building without authorised personel, she got caught.

And that's her current situation, gasping for air as the security guard continued to step on her back, pinning her to the ground.

"You talentless people only stick close to the Ultimates because you think that by being with them, you could at least be worth something." His words were harshly said.

"But the only thing you are worth for is following them around like goldfish crap!" he yelled as he delivered a swift kick to her stomach, making her cry out in pain and burying her head in the ground.

"Sakakura, that's enough!" A new voice joined in as she felt the security guard, Sakakura as he was called, was pushed away from her. As soon as nothing weighted her down anymore, she weakly stood up and ran away, hoping to get out of there as soon as possible without even looking at her savior.

* * *

  
"Nanami, is there something bothering you?" The boy asked, concern evident in his face.

"No, it's nothing." She replied, putting her console back inside her bag. It was an obvious lie, Hinata was good at reading people, but he knows that this is a sensitive subject, so he let the matter drop.

This time with her friend, she can't even look at him in the eye anymore. She only proved herself weak in those previous situations, and in the last one, she had to be saved by someone else. Then, she remembered the offer. The Hope Cultivation Program. It was still open for a volunteer. The girl knew she already accepted her normalcy before, but now, things have changed. Hope's Peak would have their volunteer after all.

"Hinata-kun, I'll be going now." The reserve course student grabbed her bag, turning away from him and preparing to leave.

At that moment, the counselor knew that he had to ask her what's wrong, what's bothering her. But in the end, he knows that she'll either dodge his questions or change the subject. But, just to be sure.

"I'll see you tomorrow, right?"

She stopped. It's just like the day they first met. Turning back to face him, with a small smile, she replied,

"Yeah."

But we already know how the story ends, don't we?


	5. Day 5: Future - Artificial Intelligence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the year 2X10, technology has progressed nicely. Even so, it isn't perfect, which is why people always try testing their limits and improve on it.  
> Wherein, an attack instead ends up bonding a boy with a developing machine.

  
The year was 2X10. The world was unlike the way it was several centuries ago; advanced technology of all kinds scattered throughout the globe, bringing great progress to the civilization of humankind. Any tasks that were once considered a chore can now be done with ease. Even so, the current state of the art machines aren't perfect. Which is why the people working on them, like Taichi Fujisaki and his team, are always testing their limits and see if they can make it better. Innovation is what always lets humanity go far, they claim.

But with the scientists' current project, they might bring a new step for their future. The current Artificial Intelligence may be advanced to the point of being sentient, but their sentience is still fed by the commands programmed into them. In other words, they want to create a blank AI that could develop its own sentience and personality.

It's almost like creating life.

After several months of working and perfecting their project, they finished creating it. In a month from now, the team will be presenting 'her'-as Mr. Fujisaki decided to make the AI a female- to the public. Though it is possible to release the AI now, he wanted her to develop enough sentience and personality first, as doing so right now might cause the AI unnecessary distress, especially if she was to be watched by a huge crowd of people.

Chiaki, that was what they decided to call her. Both Fujisaki and Professor Iidabashi agreed that giving her a proper name would help encourage her development as well as humanizing her.

The thing is, Fujisaki and his team don't work for any big company in particular. Yes, they assist when they can, but most of the time they are independent workers. Several would love to take their design of the new AI and be able to create more of them, with some even resorting to bribery or offering to pay countless of money for their creation.

Their answer was clear from the start.

"Chiaki is her own unique individual. We will not be selling her as though she is just an object." Was what Fujisaki would say whenever someone gives him an offer.

Of course, there are some people out there who are willing to use force.

And so, on the day that the AI would be shown to the public, a group of mechanical bears attacked the capital building where they would show her. Judging by their signature half black and half white color scheme as well as sinister grins, they were sent by the terrorist group DEspAiR.

People scrambled all over the place as they screamed, panicking at the sight of the horrific robots. Almost immediately, the place's own security artificial intelligent robots began to surround the place, with most of them fighting off the enemy bots while the rest were escorting civilians safely outside of the building.

With all the chaos going on, Hajime, a student, was separated from his group of classmates from the other side of the building. Their school was one of the lucky few to get a glimpse at the first model of a new AI development from Fujisaki. He thought that his class might just see her and then be done with it.

He never thought that at this very day, a bunch of robotic bears would be sent by a crazed group to attack this place.

His heart raced as he ran through the building, hoping to not run into any Monobear as he tries to make his escape. Not only were those things terrifying up close; they could turn him to mincemeat in seconds if their creators are in a good day!

Elevators aren't safe to use right now for obvious reasons, so he opted to take the stairs. It's still risky, but it's a safer alternative to jumping off the building.

After taking the last step off the stairs, he ran as he heard the evacuation notice played once again. Judging by what it said, it seems that his classmates have already been evacuated and are currently safe. He's got to get out of here quickly if he was to make it out alive.

As he saw a nearby emergency exit, he almost ran to it until he heard a scream along with some mechanical growls. Turning back, the boy saw that a duo of Monobears were forcefully dragging a girl, their teeth latched onto her wrists and legs.

Hajime had no idea what in the world he was thinking that day. It was stupid, it was reckless, it nearly endangered his life, but for some unfathomable reason, he took a nearby crowbar and running towards a Monobear, swung it as hard as he could at its head.

With a mechanical crack, the Monobear he hit immediately deactivated, its red eye fading as it shut down. The other Monobear took notice of its fallen comrade, and after immediately letting go of the girl, snarled at him.

Not even allowing him to make a move in defending himself, the mechanical beast swiped at his head, causing the boy to collapse hard on the ground. Before he blacked out, he saw the bot taken down by someone. His vision was already fading by that time, but he could make out that the girl he tried to help earlier cry out in distress.

* * *

  
When he woke up, he found out that he was in a hospital bed. Which shouldn't be surprising, since he did something so stupid earlier. Never had he ever stored the balls to fight off a Monobear with just a crowbar.

"You're awake."

Even though the owner of the voice was soft-spoken, just how sudden it was made him jump in surprise. Looking beside him, he saw that there was someone beside his bed. More specifically, the girl from before. As he observed, she looked pretty ordinary, pink hair that curled at the end and dressed in a hoodie and skirt. To his surprise, she lowered her head.

"I'm sorry for being unable to act in time."

Immediately, he shook his head. "Oh no, it's alright. You shouldn't blame yourself. If anything, it's my fault for acting without so much as thinking."

The girl seemed to think for a while, and then nodded. "That might be true, but if I had acted more quickly, you wouldn't have that injury behind your head."

Placing himself in a sitting position, the boy patted at the back of his head. As expected, there is a piece of bandage tied on it, presumably from the strike of the Monobear. At best, it'll probably leave a scar, but it'll be covered up by his hair, so there's no problem with that.

"Uh, shouldn't you be in a clinic by now? I mean, you're not critically injured, but I know that those Monobears have quite the bite force." Now that he thought about it, there's something odd about this girl.

"That won't be necessary. They already repaired my wrists."

"W-Wait a minute, what do you mean by 'repair'!?"

The girl tilted her head to the side, obviously confused. "It's exactly as I've said. I'm a machine."

Hajime stared at her, unable to close his dropped jaw. Unfortunately, it seems that she misinterpreted his reaction.

"Ah, I believe I haven't introduced myself properly. My creators call me Chiaki."

He looked at her blankly before he managed to regain the composure needed to introduce himself. "Hajime Hinata."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Hajime Hinata."

"Um, you don't need to use my full name."

"Alright, if you say so, Hajime."

It was odd, considering the fact that not only is he talking to an actual artificial intelligence, but the new creation of Fujisaki himself. He wasn't sure if he should consider himself lucky or not. Oh boy, he can already imagine the gossip his schoolmates will create.

Throughout his recovery in the hospital, his close friends would visit him at weekends, with Souda almost crushing his back while crying about what he would do without his 'soul brother', only to be reprimanded by Sonia while Owari would ask him about his encounter with the Monobear. Fuyuhiko called him an idiot for doing that, but he can't deny that it was ballsy of him to do so.

Then there was Chiaki. Every day she kept him company, often talking with him and they overall shared their experiences with one another. It was subtle, but Hajime noticed that Chiaki seems to mimic traits from people she interacts with. For instance, after spending a lot of time with him, she picked up his habit of snarking, and while not as sharp as his, it did bring a big surprise to her creators.

Nevertheless, they didn't mind her interacting with him and as a matter of fact, they encouraged it.

And finally, the android got curious about the strange place called 'school'. It might have been from him often telling stories about his classmates to her, but it interested her enough that she considered requesting her creators if she could attend it as well.

"Who knows, we might end up being classmates." Hajime joked.

"I'll be looking forward to it then, Hajime."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think it's time AI Chiaki gets her turn, don't you guys agree?


	6. Day 6: Mythos/Magic - Apotheosis

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In a world of gods and goddesses, Hajime finds himself marrying someone whom he least expects.

  
In a time where gods and goddesses ruled the world, there was a young man named Hajime. There was nothing special about him, as he was ordinary in looks and skills. Despite that, he was a good-hearted person.

One day, during a hunt in the woods, he found difficulties finding game to hunt. After wandering for a while, he soon saw a rabbit with its leg tangled in vines. After fruitlessly searching for prey, he finally found one! And it looked easy to catch, too.

He could have easily snatched the rabbit from there, but after seeing how pitiful it looked, he decided to set it loose by cutting the vines with his knife. He watched the rabbit hop away from there.

With a sigh, Hajime knew that he would go empty-handed again. He really isn't cut for hunting.

Unberknowst to him, his deed ended up touching the heart of a higher being.

  
When he came home, he was greeted by the sight of his worried parents. Apparently, they had been foretold a prophecy that he would end up marrying a winged monster, so they decided to send him to the mountains in order to prevent it from happening.

For days and nights, Hajime climbed the mountain and by the time he reached the top it was already sunrise. To his surprise, he found that there was a grand palace of some sort in front of him, even more so when the gates opened for him. The apparent lady of the palace decided to invite him in, taking note of his exhaustion. With a tired nod, the young man entered the palace.

The lady was a bit shy and secretive towards him at first, but as the man talked and spent time with her, she slowly grew closer with him and took a liking to him. In the end, they ended up getting married.

For a while, Hajime lived blissfully with his loving wife, until one day he was told that he would visited by his father. His wife refused to accept him as a guest at first, but after pleading with her, she relented, but on the condition that she shouldn't be seen by him. He agreed to her proposal.

When the father of Hajime arrived, he warmly hugged his son whom he haven't seen in years. When he arrived, he asked his son, "So, who is the woman you are married to?"

"I'm afraid I can't tell you." was what he would say in reply.

"Come now my boy, I'm your father; you can tell me anything."

Seeing that his father would not give in, Hajime made up a description of what his wife was like. But due to various contradictions, the old man saw through his lies and came to the conclusion that the prophecy came true after all.

"She may be playing nice for now, but sooner or later she will end up devouring you as her prey." his father claimed. In the end, Hajime ended up agreeing with the old man's plan, albeit reluctantly because deep down, he didn't want to hurt his wife.

"You should shine the light of your lamp to your wife's face." instructed his father. "If it reveals her as a monster, you shall slice her throat with the dagger, and then you may be free."

Hajime clutched the lamp tightly in one hand, and a dagger in another. He knows that he should be careful about this, as his very life could be at stake here. Slowly, he opened the door and quietly snuck in. In there, he could see the form of his wife.

Taking a deep breath, he held the lamp out and allowed its light to shine on the sleeping face of his wife. He knew that it would reveal who she really is. To his surprise, she wasn't a hideous winged monster like the prophecy had foretold. Instead, he saw a young woman with pink hair and feathered wings at her back.

At that moment, he knew he married the goddess of seasons, Chiaki.

Due to the light shining on her face, the goddess woke up immediately, opening her eyes to see her husband with a surprised look on his face as he was caught in the act. In his panic, the lamp slipped from his hands and fell onto his wife's shoulder, making her scream in pain and caused her to get off the bed.

Staring at him with a look of hurt and betrayal, she turned away from him, whispering,

"You can't love me if you couldn't trust me."

With those words, she vanished, leaving Hajime in regret of what he has done. In desperation, he began searching all over places just to see her again. All hope seemed lost.

Until, help came from the unexpected. The goddess of fates, Junko, had offered him her assistance, under the condition that he works as her servant until she is satisfied. Left with no choice, he agreed.

For his first task, the goddess wanted him to hold fourteen life threads of mortals while standing on a heated floor until night time. He musn't drop the life threads, as the people holding them will die.

Hajime thought that the first task was nonsensical, but considering how this is the goddess of fates, he complied. No matter how much pain his feet are in, he refused to let go of the threads. When night time arrived, Junko was surprised to see him still standing, clutching the threads tightly.

Impressed but not yet satisfied, she then subjected him to more tasks and challenges, each time being more difficult than the last. The multiple taks was starting to take their toll on Hajime; he was getting exhausted and he felt like he aged more than he should have.

It was clear from the start that Junko was never planning to help him; she just wanted him to entertain her.

Before she could subject the poor boy to another difficult task, someone Hajime thought he would never see again arrived.

"Junko, that's enough." Looking up, he saw that it was his wife, Chiaki, glaring at the other goddess.

The goddess of fates pouted. "Aww, but I was just having some fun with him! But not in that kind of way, of course! Unless you want to join in~"

Paying her no mind, Chiaki grabbed her husband by his hand and led him out of the realm of the goddess of fates, the two of them arriving back at the realm of the mortals.

Feeling ashamed of himself for doubting his own wife, Hajime opened his mouth to try and apologize, but he was beaten to it.

"It's okay, I forgive you." His wife said with a gentle smile.

Unable to control himself any longer, he hugged her tightly, never intending to let go of her ever again. He felt her hug him in return, as well as wrapping her wings around him.

After those events, Hajime and Chiaki decided to remarry at the pantheon of the gods, and at her request, had him ascend as a god of journeys, so that they can be together forevermore.

Love isn't all perfect happiness. Sometimes, there will be tears. But if the love is true, anything can be conquered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: I was originally have this about Faust, but heavens know how that went. So instead, have a ~~parody~~ piece about the classic story of Eros and Psyche.


	7. Day 7: Seasons - Never More

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seasons always change. And so do people.  
> Nanami looks back as her identity changes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This can be considered as a prequel/conclusion to the first entry, as I can't just leave it hanging.  
> Also, I was listening to a song called Never More (the credits song from Persona 4) at the time of writing this. Talk about some song dissonance!

  
It was summer by the time their class graduated. It couldn't be anymore fitting, as the warmth of today provided the atmosphere as their days at Hope's Peak ended; they now have the freedom to choose their goals from there. While almost everyone in her class wanted to pursue goals based on their talents, such as Fuyuhiko leading a new way for the yakuza, Sonia bringing her country to an age of prosperity, and so forth, Nanami never had any specific goals after graduating.

But after seeing the way her classmates proudly proclaim their goals, at that time she immediately knew what she wanted to do for her future.

She wanted to keep her classmates in check. She has always been their class rep, so it only makes sense for her to rein them in and to make sure that their group doesn't collapse quickly.

(That was exactly the reason why Junko chose her to be the general of Ultimate Despair, after all.)

It's a shame that Ms. Yukizome isn't here to see them graduate. The kind, eccentric teacher has always been like a mother to her and her classmates, even more so than her actual blood mother. The class will miss her dearly, since she's never coming back, but they wouldn't move forward if they just kept thinking about her. No, their late teacher would want them to keep going on. Oh, if only she could see her beloved 'rotten oranges' of students right now.

When everyone left the building, they watched as the school that held many precious memories burst up in flames.

"It's such a shame to burn it down." remarked Komaeda. "Ah well, it can't be helped. Besides, I know that Hope's Peak will rise up again in time."

"As much as I loathe the idea of letting our place of origin be consumed by flames of Hephaustus, I'm afraid the mortals shouldn't be made aware of our presence for the time being." reminded Tanaka.

"I still can't believe we're going to change the world!" Tsumiki said almost cheerfully, which is so unlike her.

"We're going to make Junko proud of us, that's for certain." claimed the imposter.

As her classmates continued to excitedly chatter among themselves, Nanami paid them no mind. Connections to others were her weakness, and she was grateful towards Junko for opening her eyes to that.

As members of Ultimate Despair, the former students' works of terrorism were related to the talents they have. For example, Kuzuryuu used his brainwashed yakuza clan to gain dominance over cities with Pekoyama by his side as his bodyguard, second-in-command and personal hitman. Sonia took over her country and ruled it with an iron fist, causing wars simply for the sake of it. Saionji and Mioda performed despair concerts to influence the masses. Tanaka controlled an army of animals to do his bidding, proclaiming his superiority as the rabid beasts tore down their screaming prey. Souda sent giant robots to cause havoc all over the world, as well as providing the equipment needed for their group. The imposter simply infiltrated cities to lure in more victims for them.

Komaeda didn't have to do much to cause despair; he just relied on his luck to make things happen and surprisingly, it seems to work more to his liking. Hanamura created recipes out of his victims, which Owari ate with relish as she and Nidai caused street violence. Koizumi took pictures of all their activities and posted them all over the internet, causing great despair to the viewers. And for Tsumiki, she was the torturer for their victims as well as the medic for the despairs due to her medical knowledge.

As for Nanami, she caused chaos with media, creating video games that brainwashed their players. When with grouped with her classmates, she was their main strategist in their raids. She knew and struck at the weak points of the places they raided for supplies. Cities and buildings of Future Foundation alike crumbled once a target has been marked on them. Another thing well-known from the raids is that the despairs don't leave any survivors in the very places they attack.

To be exact, they don't leave survivors because if they do, the unfortunate people are taken with them and more often than not, wished that they were killed instead. It's because they either get converted into mooks for the despairs to use and dispose as they please, or captives for them to toy with. Both fates are equally unsavory.

There are times where Nanami wished that Hinata was here with her; her classmates are having so much doing their jobs that sometimes the entire class could only meet up together once a week if she's lucky, and that is usually for plans concerning Future Foundation's next move. It did feel a bit empty, even the times where she would pursue innocent bystanders no longer has the same rush as it did before.

Then she remembered why he can't join with her; he's with the Future Foundation, the organization whose only purpose is to eradicate despair. It makes her think of trying to play with a friend in a PVP game's online match, only to find out that they're in opposing teams. In there, you can still laugh and have fun together, but not in this case.

That gives her all the more motive to crush Future Foundation. It'll be a shame if she and her old friend were to face off against each other, but it's nothing personal. Besides, he'll be with her by the time the organization is done for; he doesn't have a choice.

* * *

  
The current season was fall. It was surprisingly fitting for today, as some time ago Junko Enoshima was finally defeated. In the despair of her loss, the founder of Ultimate Despair saw it fitting to execute herself in the same manners as she did towards her victims, all because an ordinary boy who had nothing with him but hope had managed to defeat her.

Predictably, the remaining members of Ultimate Despair were distraught at the loss of their leader. What would they do now, since their beautiful mistress is gone?

But before they lost themselves in their madness, the general of despairs stepped up to fill in the void their beloved leader left behind. Unlike their original leader, Nanami was far harsher in punishments and wasn't afraid to let her disdain towards the low-life mooks when they fail miserably. Not even her classmates received such cold treatment as much as the mooks.

There was a time wherein one of the despair mooks, they have been deemed too unimportant for Nanami to bother remembering who they were, failed to do a simple task of assassinating Naegi and his group. They just had the boy at the right moment, but in the end their cowardice won out as they've been discovered by one of the Future Foundation members. If they weren't so stupid, they would have preferred a quick death by gunfire than be agonizingly executed by their disappointed superior. The other members of Ultimate Despair don't matter to her if they aren't her classmates. It's like in strategy games where you have to sacrifice your countless, replacable low-level units just so that your main units don't get killed in battle.

Finally, the despairs decided to go all out on their enemies, ambushing the members of Future Foundation. But this time, they were better prepared than before, and so the tables turned as the despairs found themselves captured and detained at last.

All because their general found herself distracted in battle as Hinata forcibly locked his lips with hers, taking advantage of her brief confusion before knocking her out.

* * *

  
Some time after the Neo World Program ended, winter arrived. It was a cold yet beautiful season, befitting the current somber mood of the recovered remnants. While Future Foundation did their best to rehabilitate the ex-despairs, with Miaya giving them group therapy sessions every Mondays and Thursdays, most of them still felt the heavy weight of their sins.

Nanami is one of those people. Like her classmates, she remembered her deeds as the general of despairs. She remembered as she lead the raids just like it was one of those strategy MMOs. _But it wasn't there were innocent people being slaughtered and it's your fault you **monster**_

The ex-general cursed herself as she thought back to the day where she had fallen to the schemes of that devil woman. Tsumiki had already been broken at that point, and under her orders, had the clas rep kidnapped.

_"T-Tsumiki-san!?" the class rep cried out in confusion once the bag was lifted off her head, finding herself in a dark room, as well as currently having her hands tied on the chair's armrest._

_"Hah, it's so nice to have you here with us, Nanam-san." The nurse sighed dreamily. "Junko wanted to see you, so I had to bring you here."_

_Junko, isn't that the name of an underclassman? Before she could think any further, the door opened and a strawberry-blonde girl with pigtails entered the room._

_"Ah, it's so nice to finally meet you in person, Nanami-senpai! I'm the one and only Junko Enoshima." Her underclassman greeted. "I would shake your hand right now, but it seems that you're tied at the moment."_

_Ignoring that bad joke, she wondered if this was some sort of prank, because if it is, it's not funny. As though her thoughts had been heard, Junko's face darkened as she looked down on her._

_"If you're thinking that this is a prank, then I'll hate to burst it to you, but it isn't."_

_"What do you mean by that!?" the captive screamed at her, struggling at her bonds. The fashion model sighed as her hair was soon done in a ponytail and she put on a pair of glasses._

_"I mean what I said. The thing is, I have been planning to plunge the world into despair, but in order for me to do that I'll need some recruits. Tsumiki-senpai has already been converted, but I'm afraid one member isn't enough. I think you'll do nicely in recruiting more slaves for me."_

_Junko leaned in and Nanami could feel her breathe down on her neck. "Besides, I believe I'll need a general to keep them all in check."_

For almost a week, Nanami was kept in that damned place. If she wasn't being physically tortured, the madwoman would break her spirit with words, convincing her that her bonds with her classmates aren't genuine; that she's only using them to vent out her personal frustrations as her own parents neglected her. At first, she refused to give in to her taunts, even as she cried out when her hands were mutilated. ("Hmmm..I wonder what would happen if you can't play your video games ever again? It would suck, wouldn't it?!") By the time Junko was done with her for the day, she would have her sister undo the ropes on her arms, only to re-tie them at the back of the chair with barbed wires instead of ropes. It was as agonizing as one could imagine.

By the end of it, Junko managed to break her and then rearranged her as she saw fit. The result was an ugly mess of a doll torn to pieces and then forcibly put back together, hence the grotesque appearance. After that, Nanami became her mole and gave her information about her classmates, giving Junko the advantage to break them as their secrets and weaknesses were uncovered.

Then when the despairs have been unleashed to the world, the first deed of despair Nanami had done was to murder her parents, allowing them to feel her pain of being neglected for so many years.

Even if she and her classmates were to recover from their past, it can't ever be erased. They may be forgiven, but what they've done won't be forgotten.

* * *

 

Several years after the world recovered, the first true spring in years came. It wasn't tainted by the red skies or the screams of people as they were slaughtered. As of now, the ex-despairs have managed to integrate themselves into society again. It certainly wasn't easy at first, with so many people letting them know how much they are hated, and the former students can't exactly blame them. But with Naegi and Hinata's help, they managed to get through.

There are some like Kuzuryuu and Sonia who knew their goals from the start; they would be rebuilding their clan and kingdom respectively. Pekoyama stayed by her young master's side as always, whereas Souda and Tanaka decided to lend their assistance to their friend. The imposter decided to stay with Mitarai, while Tsumiki tried to make up for her deeds by working together with Seiko in creating better medical procedures.

Koizumi, Saionji, and Mioda decided to settle down in an apartment, though at first the dancer didn't welcome their third guest.

Hanamura, Owari, and Nidai found some jobs, the former becoming the personal chef in the new Hope's Peak Academy while the latter two became members of a police force. Though Owari tends to slack off from her work and Nidai has to motivate her. Even Komaeda found his place as a substitute teacher in Hope's Peak.

Nanami was the only one who didn't know what to do next after everything has ended, at least at first. While she managed to settle down with Hinata, she had trouble looking for jobs, as people once knew her as the former general of despairs.

But with Hinata's reassurances that she isn't like that anymore, Nanami started to have more faith for her future. It may be rough now, but in time she'll get there.

Spring is the season for rebirth and new beginnings, after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's the end for for my submissions of Hinanami Week 2017! Man this was a fun ride, and a great way to practice my writing. I hope to see you guys another time!


End file.
